HIerarchy of needs
by Stellamare
Summary: 'Okay, goodnight then." and he started to turn around. "Wait," Carol said in a soft voice. "Can you please stay? I don't want to be alone." Set after Coda. What do people need to love and grow?
1. Chapter 1

**A hierarchy of needs.**

**Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his theory of the hierarchy of needs in 1943. This theory, often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, claims that a human being must fulfil certain needs first before he can long and move on the next layer.**

**This story is based on this theory.**

**I set the story a while after Coda. The group is travelling and it's close to winter.**

**First layer; psysiological needs.**

As Rick lead the group away from the church a sense of despair caught Carol. On the road, again. Desperate for food, shelter, medicine, again.

She could already see it affected the whole group as well. They all grew quiet and people started taking shelter with each other walking close together. Daryl walked with her. Of course, she would like to add. She was healed well enough since the fire engine had finally broken down, but still Daryl insisted in carrying her bag. Carol exclaimed he couldn't hunt along the way with two bags, but Daryl had proven her wrong looking at the string of rabbits and squirrels. "Alright then," she thought. Despite the half empty bag wasn't heavy at all, she was glad he took over.

Michonne had been scouting in front when she came back with a wide grin on her face. "Ladies and gentlemen," she announced "tonight we eat and sleep with a roof over our heads." The group cheered out silently not to alarm possible nearby walkers and picked up their pace following Michonne onto a trail leading into the forest.

What she'd found turned out to be an hotel built as a huge log cabin. She group awed at the sight of it. "Careful now" Rick insisted "we check it out first, Come on Daryl." Daryl glanced at Carol for half a second. She nodded her head and gestured to leave their bags with her. The two men sneaked towards the building. Examining a possible shelter for dangers had become second nature. After they declared the building safe they gathered their stuff and went in.

The building was surprisingly untouched. Once it was a place for a romantic getaway for lovers or adulterers and in the wake of the end of the world apparently no one thought of happy love filled weekends. Not even to hide from flesh-eating walkers.

The storerooms were filled with canned foods and dry ware like rice, and pasta. Even beer, wine and spirits were in stock. "hey Rhee," Daryl teased "care for a drink". He grabbed a random bottle from the shelf an pretended to throw it at Glenn. But only that he realized there were only 5 left from the group that went hideously drunk at the CDC, he went quiet. He put the bottle don with a angry grunt "why does it have to be damn peach schnapps too?"

"No drunkenness, " Rick decided. "It's okay to have one or two drinks at dinner, but no loud parties, okay?" "Can't imagine anyone wants to party today", Tara muttered. All agreed in silence.

That night they had rabbit stew, various canned vegetables and rice for dinner and they shared a glass of wine in the memory of the ones they loved and lost along the way.

As Rick went to put Judith to sleep, the lot gathered in the bar to enjoy a game of pool and darts. Carol on the other hand grabbed her bag. As Daryl was constant aware of her he noticed that she was leaving the room. "Going to sleep?" he asked. "Yes, I'm exhausted. Besides, I'm really no good at pool." she smiled. "Lemme help you with your bag." Daryl took the handle of her bag and the carried it upstairs together.

While Carol drew the curtains Daryl stood in the doorway." 'kay, goodnight then." and he started to turn around. "Wait," Carol said in a soft voice. "Can you please stay? I don't want to be alone."

**Note: The first layer is all about psysiological needs like food and shelter. Basically the things your instincts tell you to get. Sex can be considered a part of this, but only for procreational purposes. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A hierarchy of needs**

**Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his theory of the hierarchy of needs in 1943. This theory, often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, claims that a human being must fulfil certain needs first before he can long and move on the next layer.**

**These stories are based on this theory.**

**Second layer; Safety**

"Daryl didn't hesitate. Of course he wouldn't leave her if she needed him round to feel safe. "Don't worry, I'll keep watch."

"Thank you, I know this place should be safe, but still…"

"I understand, we all have been sleeping with one eye open since the whole damn thing started. I'll stay awake till you sleep and I won't leave you. I crash on the couch, it's fine."

Carol smiled and touched his arm briefly when she walked past him to the bathroom to get ready for the night. Of course there was no running water, but she brought a bottle of water. Just enough to wash her hands and face and to use to brush her teeth. She changed into shorts and a t-shirt and entered the bedroom again. "I left you enough water to wash up yourself," she told Daryl as she climbed into the bed.

" 'kay," he nodded and went to the bathroom. "Sleep on the couch? He is ridiculous," Carol thought. "This bed is huge, we can sleep in it together and would never he to meet each other. And besides, how many times did we slept close together on the road? Sure, mainly to keep warm, but now we need warmth too, emotional warmth." But she knew she shouldn't push a Dixon to do things he clearly wasn't ready for, he needed to work things out for himself and then act on his own conclusions. "Patience woman. Patience is a virtue." She thought a little while of teasing Daryl a bit about getting under the duvet with her, but before she could finish the thought she fell asleep.

Daryl came back into the room all cleaned up and gazed at the sleeping Carol for a short while. A small smile played on his lips. He took two steps to reach the bed and stroke her cheek gently. He longed for her, but he couldn't let his guard down to much with all the dangers surrounding them. For now, he just settled to be with her, to look at her and to be warmed by her smiles and casual touches.

He turned off the oil lamp and sat himself on the windowsill. As he watched the quiet woods outside he listened to the sounds of his family downstairs babbling and laughing over a game of pool and Carol breathing slowly in the bed. Little by little he started to feel safer. This log cabin was untouched by both the dead and the living. The doors were sturdy and locked for the night, downstairs they closed the window shutters and they were taking turns at watch tonight. They didn't give him watch duty since he took his last night, so what was exactly the point sitting here staring at the cold, dark woods?

Carol murmured something in her sleep, probably a bad dream because she sounded distressed. Daryl went over and sat at the side of the bed stroking her arm to comfort her. She sighed and smiled in her sleep. Daryl slowly withdrew his hand when Carol rolled over and got hold of his arm. In her sleep she hugged it tightly and there was no way he was going to get it back without waking her.

"Ah, what the hell'" he thought as he scooted over on the bed and lay beside her. Carol rolled over again turning her back to him dragging his arm over her body. "Well, this is a whole lot nicer than a damn couch," Daryl snickered to himself when he hugged her gently in spoonposition and closed his eyes to sleep.

**Note: Safety is more about emotional safety than physiological safety. It's the kind of safety a child looks for at his parents. Something Daryl has lacked his whole childhood, sadly.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third layer: love and belonging**

Sometime during the night Carol woke up. Dis oriented she tried to look around in the dark room. Then she remembered, the safe house, Daryl escorting her all the way and up to the bedroom. His promise to stay. She noticed him then laying next her on his back. He lay close to the edge as if he didn't want to get to close without her explicit consent. One of his legs dangled from the bed and one arm was curled up under his head.

Carol touched his arm, he felt quite cold. "No wonder," she thought, he only wore a ragged old t-shirt and shorts. And she took all the blankets.. "Daryl," she whispered. "Daryl, come one move over, you're stonecold."

Daryl grumbled in his sleep but rolled over towards her nonetheless. Carol covered his body with the duvet and then she lay there watching him sleep. He almost always looked troubled and engaged in deep thoughts. But now his face was relaxed and more beautiful than ever. After the horrible events and the long journey here the safe house was like heaven. She started thinking that they could all stay here until spring, finding supplies, gathering their strength. She even had a plan the prepare some of the rabbit an squirrelskins. On the road the had no choice then to discard them; preparing them to use for clothing would take too much time. But here, they would have that time. Carol enjoyed the idea of making Daryl a warm hat an mittens for his huntingtrips. He never complained, but she saw his painful looks when he tried to warm his hands.

Absent-minded she brushed his hair away from his forehead. Daryl muttered some undetermined words and shifted a bit. Carol smiled to herself as she continued to tease him a bit. She let her fingers trail down his jaw and after a while dared to play along the collar of his t-shirt. She began to doze off when Daryl moved and lay on his back again. One hand ducked above the duvet and lay in between them palm up. Carol gently stroke his fingers, blessing this precious moment, hoping that one day she could do this when he was awake without him telling her to stop.

With regrets she let go of his hand and closed her eyes.

She felt Daryl move again "hey, what for you stopping?" Carol flinched "Christ, was he awake the whole time?"

"Uh, I didn't mean to wake you, Daryl." Carol apologized, "wasn't really thinking either."

Daryl sat half up in the bed facing her "Should do that more often then. Not thinking." He smirked. "c'mere." He drew Carol in his arms. "Feels good, don't it. Safe."

"Yes it does." Carol shifted till she lay comfortable with Daryl's arms wrapped around her. She slowly fell asleep. And just on the threshold of waking and dreaming she heard Daryl whisper "hey, you awake?" She wanted to answer but just didn't had the strength to pull back from sleep so she kept silent. " 'kay," he continued "then hear me in your dreams. I love you."

**Note: Love and belonging. It says it all right? When the first needs are met a person is ready and willing to want to belong to a group, to have friends, to love a partner beyond procreational purposes. Looking at TWD world, the group has spent much time on the road only able to fulfill the first two needs. This theory really shows in Daryl's character. When they reached the prison and they had enough food, Daryl stared to get comfortable with feeling emotional safe. You could feel he almost reached the plain where he wanted to belong. But then it all went to shit, right?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fourth layer: esteem**

Carol woke up with a sense of happiness she couldn't immediately explain. As she tried to remember where she was and what happened last night she noticed someone lying beside her. She remembered, The log cabin, cuddling, Daryl saying I love you…. Her heart jumped as she relived the memory. She turned around to Daryl stroking his hair and pressing a kiss at his temple.

He murmured something and slowly opened his eyes "hey, morning."

"Morning" Carol replied "how about we finish that conversation, hm?"

"What?" Daryl said blank.

"Oh please, don't play ignorant. Last thing I remember was you saying I love you."

"Sure you didn't dream it? " Daryl said with a smirk.

"Shut up," and she kissed him. She gently nibbled on his bottom lip and Daryl answered her kiss. He wrapped her in his arms and whispered "yeah, it's true. I love you, ain't never letting you go now." Carol pulled back and looked Daryl in the eyes "same here, why didn't you tell me before? "

Daryl began to speak when the heard a knock on the door. They heard Rick say "Carol, you're in there? Breakfast is ready and I want to discuss something with everybody."

"Sure, be right there, "Carol called back. "Okay," Rick replied "no rush, I guess we have to wait for Daryl to come back hunting, can't find him in the building." Carol and Daryl looked at each other barely managing to hold in their laughter.

"Go," Daryl said, "I'll sneak outside and enter through the front door like nothing has happened." Carol raised her eyebrows questionly. "Are you ashamed to admit we spent the night?' "No, it's not that," Daryl said while rubbing his chin thinking "Just need to process all this before I want to tell the others. Ain't ready for Maggie giggling and Glenn squealing.. or the other way around." he grinned. "Yeah, you're right," Carol said with a little chuckle. She thought it was best they explored this by themselves first. They both washed up, got dressed and They went down the stairs together. Carol peeked around the corner and gestured Daryl he could sneak out unnoticed.

Carol entered the dining room and sat down. Rick poured her a cup of tea and she helped herself to some stale crackers they found in the kitchen. She looked around the table, everybody was there, her whole survival-family. She drank in their faces in silence and felt love rush through her. This was a new sensation. Sure she cared about them, would even have said she loved them, but since Daryl confessed his love to her, it was like the word had gotten a deeper meaning.

The front door opened and Daryl walked in looking all innocent and all, she turned her face to him and winked. He actually managed to shoot a pheasant in the barely five minutes he was out there. "Morning," he said holding up the bird "here's lunch." The people at the table cheered and Daryl sat down with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Right," Rick began "hope you all slept well. "Several nodded in agreement. "I think I'm about to say what everybody is thinking. This place," he looked up and gestured around "has plenty of room to hold us all. There is a well, a stocked supply room and above all, it's safe. I think, and please tell me if you disagree, that it's our best option we stay here for a while." Clearly there was no need to take a vote, because the table exploded with cheers and applause.

"Well, since we all agree", Abraham began, "let's get to work then. I can see no walker ever entered this terrain, but we can't be too cautious. I suggest we scout the area for fences, take them and set them up here. I saw a few pick-up trucks behind on the parking lot, we can use them. "

Rick nodded in agreement and soon everybody had a job to do, a supply run, a scouting mission to map out the environment, household chores and so on.

Daryl went out hunting again while Carol agreed to prepare the game he brought back for lunch and dinner. The exchanged a smouldering look between them before they separated. Carol understood that he didn't' want to tell everybody yet, but she regretted that it meant they couldn't kiss goodbye like Maggie and Glenn did. But she would let him take his time with this. She could wait.

Carol, Tara and Maggie set their selves to check all the rooms in the hotel. There could be hidden supplies, guns or other surprises. They started at the far end, at the rooms they hadn't used but found nothing of more interest than aspirin and minibottles of shampoo. The women took their time to drink tea when Daryl walked in with more dead pheasants and a rabbit. "There you go," he grumbled and flung the game on the bar. "Yay, Daryl," Tara squealed and jumped up to give him a playful hug. Daryl stepped back immediately leaving Tara almost falling over. Daryl gazed at her shyly and retreated upstairs to his room.

"Jeez', what's with him? " Tara huffed "does any of you gals understand that moody dorkhead?" Maggie and Carol exchanged an amused look and chuckled with laughter. "Oh Carol understand him alright." Maggie cried out. "Yeah…,"Tara said thoughtful " what's the deal between you two? One moment I think you are hot for each other, but I never see you kiss or even hold hands." Carol smiled and dropped her gaze "we're friends, close friends, but just friends." She couldn't look Tara in the eye and lie. Now it was Tara's turn to chuckle with Maggie, "just friends…yeah right." Maggie added "don't believe her girl, sometimes you can cut the tension between them with a knife." Despite herself Carol laughed too. "See," Tara squealed "you like him, you do." Carol couldn't help herself and gave a little nod. "Come on girl, what you're waiting for then? Saving yourself for marriage?" The three women burst with laughter.

As the giggles died out and they dried their tears of laughter Carol said seriously "We're not rushing anything and that's all I have to say about it now. Let's leave it there, okay?"

"Sure thing," Maggie and Tara replied and they set themselves to clean the prey Daryl brought in.

About half an hour later Rick and Glenn walked in followed by Abe, Rosita and Tyreese. During the time they took to wash up they women started cooking dinner and the rest dropped in.

Carol excused herself to go check on Daryl who still was upstairs. She softly knocked on his door and waited for him to respond. She went in. "Hey."

He lay on the bed whittling a piece of wood. "Hey"

"Are you coming down? We eat in a bit."

"Yeah, be right there," Daryl said sitting up on the bed. "Sorry 'bout earlier, just not used being praised and all for bringing home food."

"No kidding?" Carol laughed. Sure the group appreciated his hunting, but she had to admit they didn't exactly praised him for it explicitly. Since Tara was rather new to the group – and the fact she was impulsive – it was to be expected she would show her appreciation more openly.

"Better learn to live with the love, Pookie,"

"Yah, you said that at the prison already. Back then I was just getting comfortable with that when everything fell apart. Feels like I'm back at square one and Some days I just don't know where to find the strength to move on." He sighed.

"You'll manage, give it time, accept when people compliment you, accept when I appreciate you." Carol knelt beside the bed and kissed his cheek. Daryl closed his eyes in comfort and let out a little moan. Carol took the hint and began trailing along his jaw with her lips while stroking his neck with her fingers.

She pulled back "better get back, some people might wonder…"

Daryl opened one eye to look at her "yeah…be right there."

Dinner was served when Daryl finally got down. He attempted to sit down quietly without drawing any attention when Tara cleared her throat and stood up. "Excuse me people, I got something to say." Everybody stopped eating and looked to the girl awaiting. "I've been a part of this team for a few weeks now and I just have to say….first you all accepted me as your own even when I was a part of the group that destroyed your home." She glanced down an swallowed. Maggie, who sat next to her squeezed her hand in support.

"Thanks," Tara went on "but we've discussed this before. Today, now that we found another safe place and decided to stay for a while it suddenly hit me…. That what makes this team so amazing…" She looked around the table, making sure to see every individual separately. "Rick, the leader, Abraham the decisionmaker, Carol the badass homemaker who kills walkers while baking apple-pie." Everybody laughed. "and someone who has more value than people seems to notice because he keeps to himself and won't be praised for his work."

Daryl felt where this was going and was about to give his usual apply, a grumble and a staring down at the table. But then he remembered the time at the prison when he began to like being looked up to, he remembered Carol's words right before dinner. "Fuck it," he thought and forced himself to look up and face the group, his family.

"Thank you," he said hoping to sound as sincere as he felt about Tara's kind words. "You'll know I'm not good at this stuff." People started laughing. "Yeah, you all do. Let me say this, before I lose my nerve. I do what I do because I somehow want this band of people to survive with me through all the shit. I don't need praises and slaps on the shoulder for it. Just y'all life another day, that's enough for me." The group went silent and Daryl dared a glimpse at Carol before he stared down at the table again. Carol gave him a securing smile and started applauding in silence. Maggie picked it up and one by one everybody started clapping. Carol stood up and walked over to Daryl. She gave him a warm embrace and whispered "good job, you went from square one all the way to ten. Don't know how many squares there are left, but you'll get there."

**Note: Esteem. That means a persons need to feel respected by others. It troubles Daryl…people do value his efforts, but he has a hard time just taking the compliments and accept people like having him around. Like he just can't believe they really do. (Merle pointed it out to him in his hallucination: they laugh about you and someday they gonna scrape you off the soles of their shoes). It's his biggest fear right, wanting to belong but not being accepted or what you really are.**

**Esteem really comes in two parts: first esteem gained through others, second self-esteem. Respect because you think you're doing the right things.**

**It's hard…don't we all struggle with it?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fifth layer: Self-actualization**

Daryl was wide awake although it was hours before sunrise. Just going over and over all the event of the last week.

For as long as he could remember he would just check out when it came to relationships and people coming close, he used to hate it. But now things seemed different, HE seemed different. He felt open to the people around him, he realized he wanted to be a part of the group. Although he still found it difficult he wanted people to compliment him for his talents and he wanted to have a relationship with the woman sleeping next to him, Carol.

Carol shifted in her sleep rolling over to Daryl and put her arm on his waist, like she knew what he was thinking about. Hell, maybe she did know, telepathically, he thought. He kissed her softly on the cheek and tried to sleep as well.

The next day it was raining cats and dogs. `" So much for hunting", he thought. Not that hunting was needed, they had enough supplies to last a few days. Daryl decide to stay in and whittle some new bolts. His first instinct told him to stay up in the room, but since he decided to be more part of the group he went downstairs to the lounge where everyone gathered.

He relaxed on one of the couches and set to work, glimpsing at Carol from time to time, who attempted to mend the knees from a pair of pants, probably Abe's. Daryl finished his bolts and just sat back observing the room and his friends. It's weird, he thought, before the world ended he would have never be friends with any of them.

Rick would probably have thrown him in jail. He never been to prison but he did spend the night at a police station a few times cause he picked a fight while drunk. He just couldn't remember it happened in King's County once.

Carol had been a decent housewife, Ed had been only one step away from being white trash, he could have been hunting with someone like him. Fuck, he had known men like Ed, but he never met their wives. Glenn delivered pizza's, but Daryl rarely visited the city, Abraham was in the army, a job he had considered but since he didn't had any ambition, he never attempted for the job. It's weird, world's end seems to work out better for him then for others. Where other people had lost everything, family, friends, home, jobs, security; he actually gained. Before he had no home, he stayed at Merle's place, with so-called friends or just slept in his car, no job, no advanced education and no security. Now here he was, in a secure place, surrounded by people he truly could call friends, with the important job of feeding and securing them, a woman by his side to love and the ambition to become a better man. Carol was such an intelligent woman, he really tried to learn from her, he even began to read Tom Saywer. Daryl chuckled, if Mrs Anderson, his highschool English teacher, would know…

"Penny for your thoughts.." Daryl startled a little, he hadn't noticed Carol had sat down next to him.

"Oh just.." he waved vaguely at the room "it just all feels good today.

Carol nodded and smiled "yeah, out there it rains, but in here the sun shines." Daryl wanted to kiss her and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "Oh to hell with it," he thought as he grabbed Carol for a long loving kiss "let them know and feast their eyes on this. Nothing to be ashamed of."

The end

**Note: Self-actualization . 'What a man can be, he must be'. It refers to a person's full potential and realizing it. Daryl isn't there yet, not nearly. Maybe he never reaches it due to his f*cked up childhood. But he's trying. Not being ashamed of his choices, or to wonder what others might think of it. He knows what he is good at and he is determined to do these duties the best way he can.**

**Carol is there is support him and if they can find a sheltered place they really could have a future together. The two of them have come a long way and still have miles to go in my opinion.**

**Thank you all for bearing with me throughout this little story. It was my first ever fan fic and I hope to write many more and constantly improve myself**


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